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Daniel Alfredsson
| birth_place = Gothenburg, Sweden | draft = 133rd overall | draft_year = 1994 | draft_team = Ottawa Senators | career_start = 1992 }} Daniel Alfredsson (born on December 11, 1972) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). From 1999 to 2013, Daniel was the captain of the Ottawa Senators and is considered a leader by example and had been compared to former Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman in his value during his tenure as captain of the Ottawa Senators. While playing with the Senators, Daniel usually played on the first line, which was formerly nicknamed the "CASH" or "Pizza" line with centre Jason Spezza and left winger Dany Heatley before Heatley's trade to the San Jose Sharks. He had traditionally been the fourth forward on the ice in the role of pointman on Ottawa's powerplay. Daniel is one of the league's top two-way players and he holds the Senators' franchise records for goals (426), assists (682) and points (1108) with 1178 games played. He has played for Sweden internationally thirteen times including the 2006 gold medal winning Olympic squad. On October 22, 2010, Daniel became the 75th player to reach 1,000 career points in the NHL, scoring three goals in a win over the Buffalo Sabres. Playing Career Ottawa Senators (1994-2013) Daniel was drafted in the 6th round (133rd overall) in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He had been overlooked by many NHL scouts, but one man in Ottawa's front office, John Ferguson saw the potential and pushed management for his selection. Though largely unheralded entering his first NHL training camp, Daniel would go on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in his first NHL season in 1995–96 and was the Senators' representative at the NHL All-Star Game. In 1996–97, Daniel improved on his rookie totals and played in the All-Star Game again. He finished second in team scoring, contributing to the Senators' first modern playoff qualification. Due to a contract dispute, Daniel missed the beginning of the 1997–98 season due to a contract dispute. On August 24, 1997, he demanded a trade from the Senators after the five year contract offered to him was $1 million less than that of Alexei Yashin per season. On October 12, 1997, Daniel signed a new deal, worth $14 million over four years. After missing the first five games of the season, he was greeted by a standing ovation in his first game back in Ottawa. Daniel would later be named the Senators' representative at the All-Star Game for the third consecutive season. During that season, he would play in only 55 games, due to the earlier contract dispute and a late season ankle injury. The Senators qualified for the playoffs again and defeated the New Jersey Devils, but lost to the surging Washington Capitals in the second round. Alfredsson would score seven goals in 11 playoff games in 1998. In 1998–99, Daniel missed 24 games due to an injury, and was limited to only 11 goals. The club once again qualified for the playoffs and Daniel hoped to have a good postseason, but he was limited to one goal and three points in a sweep at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres. The next season, he was named captain of the Senators after Alexei Yashin was stripped of the captaincy for refusing to honor his contract. After two somewhat disappointing seasons, Daniel's scoring totals improved, with 21 goals and 59 points in 57 games. In the playoffs, the Senators met the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Senators would lose the inaugural "Battle of Ontario" although Daniel contributed three goals in the six-game series. In 2000–01, Yashin returned to the Ottawa lineup but the team captaincy remained with Daniel who would score 24 goals and 70 points in 68 games. The Senators again met the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs and Daniel was limited to one goal in a four-game series sweep by Toronto. In 2001–02, Daniel set a personal best with 37 goals and 71 points in 78 games. In the playoffs, the Senators once again met the now arch-rival Maple Leafs in the second round, where they lost in seven games. Daniel led the team in playoff scoring with seven goals and 13 points in 12 games. Daniel signed a two-year contract prior to the 2002–03 season. He increased his scoring totals, finishing with 27 goals and 78 points. The club won the President's Trophy that season, despite the organization filing for bankruptcy protection, and qualified for the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils. Daniel scored four goals and eight points in 18 games. In 2003–04, Daniel finished the season with 32 goals and 80 points in 78 games. The club lost its first-round playoff to Toronto and he was limited to one goal and three points in the seven-game series. Mid-season, Daniel signed a five-year contract extension with the Ottawa Senators. Like many NHL players, Daniel played for a European team during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. He returned to Sweden to play for Frölunda HC, the team that he had played for prior to beginning his NHL career. Daniel played on an all-NHL line with P.J. Axelsson and Samuel Pahlsson helping the club win the Swedish Championship. He was a major contributor during the playoffs, scoring 12 goals and 18 points in 13 games. On October 5, 2005 on opening night for the 2005-06 NHL season, the Senators played the Maple Leafs with the newly acquired Dany Heatley playing on the top line with Jason Spezza and Brandon Bochenski. The Senators were down by a goal with five minutes remaining in the third period, when Daniel (replacing Bochenski on the top line) scored the tying goal. This line combination would remain intact, and became known as the "CASH line." Later in the same game, Heatley and Daniel scored the first goals in a regular season NHL shootout when they scored against Leafs goalie Ed Belfour for a 3–2 victory. With Daniel scoring in the shootout, he became the first captain in the NHL history to do so. Alfredsson and Heatley's sticks were subsequently sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Daniel capped off the 2005–06 regular season with a career high 103 points (43 goals and 60 assists) tied for first on the Senators along with Heatley. On November 3, 2005, Daniel scored a then career-high four goals and six points against the Buffalo Sabres. After a disappointing 2006 playoffs and poor play to start the season, Daniel became the subject of trade rumors from the beginning of the 2006–07 season. He improved his game, attributing the reversal in part to a change in skates and had a six-game scoring streak soon after. On December 23, 2006, Daniel notched his 600th career point, scoring two goals and an assist. In the 2007 playoffs, Daniel was the Senators' leading scorer with 14 goals and 22 points in 20 games. His leadership and strong play helped the Senators as they advanced past the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in modern franchise history. Daniel became the first European-born-and-raised captain to lead his team to the finals. When presented with the Prince of Wales Trophy, he posed while touching the trophy which many hockey players consider a form of bad luck. Daniel was arguably Ottawa's best player in the Stanley Cup Finals, which the Senators ultimately lost to the Anaheim Ducks in a five game series. In a controversial incident in game four, a slap shot by Daniel hit Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer at the end of the second period, leading to speculation that Daniel had intended to injure Niedermayer. Daniel dismissed the notion, saying that he had glanced up at the clock to see if he had time to move in for a better shot and then quickly fired in the heat of an important game. Along with the rest of the Senators, Daniel's 2007–08 season was marked by highs and lows. On January 24, 2008, Daniel scored three goals and four assists in an 8–4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, setting the Senators' record for most points in one game. It vaulted him into the NHL scoring lead at the All-Star break. He was named NHL "Player of the Week" and its "First Star." Daniel and his linemates, Heatley and Spezza, were named to the Eastern Conference All-Star game roster, although Heatley wouldn't play due to injury. Injuries reduced Daniel's playing time and effectiveness in the latter half of the season which first started off with a hip pointer injury. On April 3, 2008, Mark Bell of the Toronto Maple Leafs hit him with a shoulder that left Daniel on the ice unable to get up for several minutes. Daniel missed the final game of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs. He had played in every modern Senators playoff game up to that point. On April 14, 2008 (with the Senators trailing 2–0 in their playoff series to the Pittsburgh Penguins), Daniel made his return in game three of the series, four weeks earlier than initially expected. He was welcomed with a lengthy standing ovation at Scotiabank Place. However, the Senators gave up four unanswered goals (three in the third period) to lose the game 4–1. The Senators lost game four 3–1. Afterwards, in an interview on CBC, Daniel admitted that he had been playing with a ruptured medial collateral ligament. In October of 2008, Daniel underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to remove a bone chip and returned less than a week later. On October 30, 2008, Daniel agreed to a four-year contract extension with Ottawa worth $21.6 million. The contract (intended to allow him to finish his playing career with the Senators) included a no-movement clause. The 2008–09 season was a disappointing one for both Daniel and the Senators. The team failed the to make the playoffs and Daniel registered only 24 goals and 74 points in 79 games. On July 8, 2009, Daniel became the longest serving active captain in the NHL, as former Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu signed with the Anaheim Ducks and former Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic announced his retirement. The 2009–10 season saw Daniel's point total dip again, as he scored only 20 goals and had 71 points in 70 games. On April 6th, Daniel reached an important milestone, playing in his 1000th regular season game. Even though the Senators lost to Pittsburgh in the first round, Alfredsson still scored 2 goals and added 6 assists to lead the team in scoring (tied with Matt Cullen). He later admitted he had been bothered by a sports hernia since February, which could explain his reduced effectiveness in the last weeks of the season and the playoffs. On October 22, 2010 (during the 2010-11 NHL season), Daniel recorded his 1,000th career NHL point in a victory over the Buffalo Sabres. At the end of the season, Daniel underwent back surgery and was released from hospital the same day. On June 14, 2011 at a news conference introducing the Senators' head coach Paul MacLean, Daniel stated the surgery went will and he was moving around fine. Daniel began the 2011–12 season healthy, but he was diagnosed with a concussion for the first time in his career after receiving a blow to the head from New York Rangers forward Wojtek Wolski on October 29, 2011. On November 11, 2011, Daniel returned on 11 November after missing five games, in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. On December 30, 2011, he scored his 400th career goal, the game winner in overtime, versus the Calgary Flames. Widely assumed to be a candidate to be moved to a Stanley Cup contender at the 2012 trade deadline, Ottawa's strong play resulted in Daniel not being placed on the trade market. "I was just really happy we didn’t have to make that decision," said Daniel of the possibility of leaving Ottawa. In the 2012 NHL All-Star Game held at Scotiabank Place, Daniel was captain of "Team Alfredsson", scoring twice within one minute and 31 seconds in a 12 - 9 loss to "Team Chara." In the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs, Daniel and the Senators were eliminated by the first-place New York Rangers in seven games. Speculation was rampant during early summer of 2012 that he would announce his retirement, but on July 31, 2012, Daniel confirmed that he would be returning for his 17th season with the Senators. The lockout shortened 2012–13 season was a successful one for Daniel and the Senators. The team made the playoffs despite losing several key players to injury for extended periods, and defeated the rival Montreal Canadiens in the first round. Daniel was third in team scoring during the regular season with 10 goals and 16 assists in 47 games, and he led the Senators in scoring through the playoffs with four goals and 10 points in 10 games. At season's end there was again speculation that Daniel might announce his retirement. On June 28, 2013, GM Bryan Murray confirmed that he had been informed by agent J.P. Barry that Daniel "is committed to play next year for the Senators." While Daniel negotiated a new contract with Ottawa, Boston Bruins' GM Peter Chiarelli reached out to him in an attempt to gauge his interest in signing with Boston. Chiarelli attempted to convince Daniel that Boston could be a good destination for an older player looking to win a Stanley Cup prior to retirement. Detroit Red Wings (2013-current) On July 5, 2013, Daniel signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. His Ottawa teammates were taken aback by the news. Daniel phoned Chris Phillips so he would not hear the news at the same time as everyone else. Phillips said he was shocked. Marc Methot said many teammates were caught off guard. "We all were pretty adamant that he was going to return because he is grounded in this city (Ottawa) and so well-loved that everyone figured something would work out," said Methot. Ex-Senators' coach Jacques Martin (now a hockey analyst on TVA Sports) compared Daniel's departure to Ray Bourque's decision to move to the Colorado Avalanche to win a Stanley Cup. A day later, Daniel confirmed that his decision to leave Ottawa was motivated by a desire to win a Stanley Cup prior to retirement. "I had not won a Stanley Cup and that’s a big priority for me," Daniel said. Daniel later explained that his departure from Ottawa was due to a contract impasse though Senators' general manager Bryan Murray had expected Daniel to remain in Ottawa. On December 1, 2013, Daniel returned to Ottawa for the first time with the Red Wings and he was greeted with a video tribute and loud cheers from the Canadian Tire Centre crowd. Career Statistics International Statistics Awards & Achievements International Awards NHL Awards Records *Holds the Senators record for regular season games played, goals, assists and points. *Holds the Senators record for highest +/- rating in a season set in 2006–07 with +42. *Holds the Senators record for most points in a regular season game set in 2007–08, with 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points. *Holds the Senators playoff records for most games played, goals, assists and points. Milestones *November 10, 2007: Scored 300th goal of his career *January 24, 2008: Recorded the 500th assist of his career *April 6, 2010: Played in his 1000th NHL game (all with the Ottawa Senators) against the Florida Panthers. *October 22, 2010: Reached the 1,000 point milestone with a hat-trick against the Buffalo Sabres. *December 30, 2011: Scored his 400th career goal in OT against the Calgary Flames. Nominations *Finished 2nd in Lady Byng Memorial Trophy voting in 2003–04. *Finished 3rd in Selke Trophy voting as the best defensive forward in 2005–06. *Finished 4th in Lady Byng Memorial Trophy voting as the NHL's most gentlemanly player in 2005–06. *Finished in the top three in voting for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2011–2012. Other Achievements *Scored the first shootout goal in NHL history during the 2005-2006 season. *April 10, 2010 was officially "Daniel Alfredsson Day" in Ottawa which was declared in honour of his 1,000th NHL game. *Was the first European-born and trained captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007. *Improved his point totals for six consecutive seasons from 1998–99 to 2005–06 inclusive, a franchise record. *Appears on the cover of the Swedish version of the EA Sports NHL 09 video game. *Won the first major award in modern Senators history when he was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1995–96. *Has played in 119 of the 121 playoff games of the modern Senators. *Led the league in goals during the 2006–07 playoffs and tied linemates Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley with 22 points to lead the league in playoff scoring. International Play }} Daniel has represented Sweden in the: *1994 World Championships (silver medal) *1996 World Championships *1996 World Cup of Hockey *1998 Winter Olympics *1998 World Championships (bronze medal) *2001 World Championships (bronze medal) *2002 Winter Olympics *2004 World Championships (silver medal) *2004 World Cup of Hockey *2005 World Championships *2006 Winter Olympics (alternate captain, gold medal) *2010 Winter Olympics (alternate captain) *2012 IIHF World Championship (captain) At the 2006 Olympics, Daniel set personal highs in goals (5), assists (5) and points (10) and played on the second line with Mats Sundin and Henrik Zetterberg. After an injury to Peter Forsberg, Daniel took Forsberg's spot as the alternate captain, along with Captain Sundin and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. He was named captain of Team Sweden for the first time at the 2012 IIHF World Championship. Personal Life Daniel's parents are Hasse and Margareta and he has a younger brother named Henric. Henric played with the Ottawa 67's junior team when he was 19 years old during their 1999 Memorial Cup-winning season. He decided to stay in Ottawa after his junior hockey career with the Ottawa 67's was complete. He now works for the Ottawa Police Service. On July 31, 2004, Daniel married his long-time girlfriend Birgitta. They have four sons: Hugo, Loui, Fenix and William Erik. The family resides in Ottawa and Saro, Sweden. Category:Ottawa Senators players Category:1972 births Category:Detroit Red Wings players Category:Ottawa Senators draft picks